160 years of Benedictine education: A day of prayer, praise, and pride
View(s):St Benedict’s College is Sri Lanka’s oldest Catholic English school if it counts its origins in Hultsdorf in 1839 as “The Roman Catholic Seminary.” The school was dedicated to St Benedict only when it moved to Kotahena, next to St Lucia’s Cathedral, in 1865 and came under the administration of the Sylvestro-Benedictine Order. The school was handed over to the De La Salle Brothers, the leading teaching order of the Catholic Church, in 1868 by the then Apostolic Vicar Bishop Sillani. Reaching the milestone of the 160th Anniversary of the College is a joyous moment for the Global Benedictine Fraternity.
The most important event of the anniversary year took place on the Feast Day of St Benedict, July 11, 2025, starting with the Concelebration of Holy Mass at the magnificent St Lucia’s Cathedral attended by students, teachers, parents, old boys, and invitees.
After the conclusion of the service with the final blessing, the greetings message from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was read out, followed by the blessing of prayer cards and souvenirs for the students. The 160th Anniversary Prayer was read by the Provincial Visitor of De La Salle Brothers, Very Rev Bro. Christy Croos. The congregation was then blessed with the Relic of St Benedict by Rev Fr Dushantha Perera of the Sylvestro-Benedictine Order and the present Rector of St Anthony’s College, Kandy. This was followed by a very special event in recognition of excellence of teaching at St Benedict’s College — The Professor Nihal Amerasinghe Benedictine Teacher of the Year Award — which was presented to Mr. Beverly Fernando, senior teacher and head of the arts stream.
The second part of the programme was in the much-loved Quadrangle of the College. The hoisting of flags — national, college, papal, and Lasallian — was done with full honours, keeping with tradition. As Benedictines have been brought up to preserve mother nature, the ceremonial planting of the 160th anniversary sapling took place before the programme on the stage began with an amazing song by 30 young Benedictines.
Rev Bro. Niran Perera, acting director of St Benedict’s College, in his welcome address, said St Benedict’s College has grown into a vibrant hub of activity and purpose through academic, cultural, and creative pursuits; sports and co-curricular activities; and social responsibility.
Bro. Christy Croos, in his keynote speech, stated, “Today, we stand on the shoulders of giants — 160 years of unwavering commitment to faith, discipline, and education. This celebration is not merely of time passed, but of a legacy lived — a legacy rooted in our beloved motto: Religio Mores Cultura.” He asked the young Benedictines to live the Rule of St Benedict: “Let all be done so that God may be glorified in all things.”
There were two more events of significance that morning, namely the launch of the 160th anniversary commemorative stamp by the Sri Lanka Postal Department and the relaunch of the college anthem composed in 1915.
A year-long series of celebrations has been scheduled for the Global Benedictine Community, with many events being organised in Sri Lanka and overseas. In Sri Lanka, the year began with a deeply spiritual and emotional service patronage by Fr Darrel Coonghe for all students and parents. The anniversary logo “160 and beyond” was unveiled at this event on January 3.
As a pioneering school, St Benedict’s has always taken the lead in the field of education. It was St Benedict’s that introduced commerce education to the country way back in 1910. During that period, St Benedict’s was also known as the Home for Science and Mathematics. St Benedict’s College is now leading a bold educational transformation in the country, introducing 21st-century learning, and opened the country’s first state-of-the-art STEM Centre on January 17, 2025, to equip its students with pivotal skills required in a rapidly evolving world.
Commemorative events include a Car Parade & Carnival, a Learning Festival promoting Innovation, “Our Own Show,” the Benedictine Walk, cultural performances, a Global Alumni Reunion, and the Annual Dinner Dance in mid-December.
The Global Benedictine Community, deeply steeped in Lasallian principles & values and maintaining its Catholic identity, is unitedly looking forward to deepening its invaluable Lasallian heritage and strengthening its ties with the Global Lasallian Education System to provide a world-class education to its students in the next 160 years. The Benedictine Purpose Statement taken from the teachings of its founder, St John Baptist De La Salle, reads, “To give HOPE and OPPORTUNITY to students to lead lives with DIGNITY and FREEDOM, and to serve the needs of humanity and the planet.”
- Felix Dias
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